


Deep Secret

by LittleSweetCheeks



Category: Madam Secretary
Genre: AU, F/M, Pre-Series, Prompt Fic, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:20:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26703604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleSweetCheeks/pseuds/LittleSweetCheeks
Summary: Prompt Fic- Henry can't fathom why Elizabeth insists on bringing Blake to DC
Relationships: Elizabeth McCord/Henry McCord
Comments: 9
Kudos: 30





	Deep Secret

**Author's Note:**

> Original Tumblr prompt-  
> Elizabeth never really talked to Henry about Blake when they were at UVA so he can't fathom why she wanted to bring him with her to Washington.

Elizabeth held her phone against her ear with her shoulder. “I think I’m about ready to head out, Henry. I’m just loading my bag now.”

Henry had left campus two hours ago and was at home working on dinner. “Okay, Babe. Just don’t be too long, the kids are already asking when we’re sitting down to eat.” He chuckled.

“I just… crap.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I can’t find Blake’s latest thesis rewrites.” She referred to one of the grad students she was advising. “I swear he dropped it off to me.”

He was used to hearing about the students his wife advised and felt that, at least with some, he got to know them fairly well. Elizabeth didn’t talk often about Blake, but from what he’d gathered Henry figured the young man was quite reserved and shy. He thought that was some of what made Elizabeth act more maternal than normal toward him. “Well, you better find them.”

Elizabeth huffed. “I don’t see it. I may have to swing by his place and see if he can get me another copy before the weekend.” She knew vaguely where her student’s off campus apartment was along her route home. “I won’t let it take too long; I promise.” She assured him. “Ten minutes extra, tops.”

“Okay. We’ll be waiting when you get here.”

She ended the call and tossed the phone on her desk before starting the process of searching all over again. She knew it’d been dropped off at her office that morning, but now it was nowhere to be found. Sinking into her chair, Elizabeth chewed her lip as she debated. It really would be easy to simply stop by and ask if he could get her another one as she headed home. And perhaps she’d be able to learn just a little more about her bright but very closed off student.

Decision made, she finished packing her things and headed for her car. There was still a chance he wouldn’t be home anyway, she’d just leave him a note if that was the case, but she got the impression during their advising times that he probably didn’t go out much. She let her mind wander over their interactions since he’d joined the grad program at the beginning on the year. He’d very quietly approached her and asked about being his advisor, it wasn’t’ uncommon for students to change advisors a time or two until they found the best fit, but Blake had accepted her guidance willingly from the beginning and had never looked back.

When she stopped in front of the right address, Elizabeth stared up at the building before heading inside. It wasn’t where most students opted to live, a lot quieter and a bit out of the way, but somehow that didn’t surprise her. What did surprise her was what greeted her when the correct door opened. It was definitely her student, but instead of his normal jeans and t-shirt, he was in a cotton dress and his normally messy hair looked…curled, and she would swear he had on makeup. The next thing she realized what that his eyes were wide, and his breath was coming in tiny bursts. “It’s okay, Blake.” It was the first thing that came out of her mouth. He looked on the verge of a panic attack, but if she walked away now, it would only make things worse.

Elizabeth wasn’t clueless, nearly twenty years in the CIA plus her time as a college professor had introduced her to people of all walks of life. Realizing he still hadn’t moved from the doorway, she raised her hands slowly, hoping he would process that she only had good intentions before she carefully eased him back into her apartment and shut the door, closing them off from any prying eyes. “Hey, it’s okay.” She tried to soothe. “It is not as bad as your brain is telling you it is right now.” She had no idea what would help him in the moment, it was his apartment and she was the intruder. “Just take a minute, okay? Don’t worry about what I might think, what do you need to feel more comfortable?”

He didn’t verbally respond, only nodded his head a little too fast and then fled into another room, she suspected he bedroom. Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth tried not to snoop too much around the room, but it was hard not to notice how much personality was all over the place, much more than she’d ever seen of him on campus. When he reemerged, he was dressed as she was used to seeing. “I’m sorry.” He whispered.

“For what, Sweetie?” She cautiously approached him and then led him toward the couch. “I should be the one apologizing for just turning up.”

He blinked at her a minute before speaking, his voice still soft. “No one else knows that…” His voice caught and she waited patiently. Expectantly. “No one else knows I was born the wrong thing. The wrong, uh, gender. I never expected anyone to know. Ever.” She watched as he cautiously glanced up at her out of the corner of his eye. “I worked so hard to never let anyone know and now it’s…all ruined.”

“It’s not all ruined, Blake. I’ve known you, what, eight months now? My opinion of you isn’t going to change. You’re still the person I’ve gotten to know all year.” She reached out and rubbed his back. “When you are ready, I’ll listen to whatever you want to tell me, okay?” She watched him nod. “I can go if you want me to, but I have nowhere important to be and I’m worried about you. Do you want me to go?” He shook his head this time. “Okay. Let me call Henry and then I can talk or listen or whatever you need.”

=MS=

It was nearly midnight by the time Elizabeth quietly tiptoed into her bedroom, doing her best not to wake Henry.

“Everything okay?” His voice asked through the dark, thick with sleep.

“Yeah. Well, I think it will be. It was…” She sighed, sitting in the edge of the bed beside him. “I can’t tell you about any of it. I- I specifically assured him I wouldn’t say anything. My heart just hurts for him.”

Henry had pushed to a seated position as she’d spoke and pulled her close, rubbing her arm. “Then I won’t ask.”

“Thank you for that.” And she meant it. “I did tell him I would be insisting he come around for dinners regularly.” They both had advising students to the house from time to time, some came more often than others. “I think after tonight he just needs a bit of reassurance.”

“Okay.” He pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “Go change and come to bed.”

“Okay.”

=MS=

Elizabeth didn’t see Blake again until the next Tuesday and when he turned up in her office doorway, he looked exactly as he always did. She gave him the same welcoming smile. “Have a seat, I’ve gone over your paper and have a few new notes for this section.” From there they dove into the details of his writing. She’d asked very carefully the week before if there were things she could be saying or doing differently, but he’d sounded somewhat confident as he’d asked that she keep everything the same. He didn’t want anyone else to find out and while she worried what living so hidden would do to his mind, she agreed to follow his wishes. He carried a large amount of fear that if he were ever outed, his career would be over.

When they finished looking over the paper and then discussing his course plans for the next year, she saw him hesitate before frowning slightly. “I just wanted to say thank you… For the other night. No one’s ever- I never imagined anyone ever not reacting with disgust or anger or hatred before.”

That broke her heart all over again. “I’m one hundred percent here for you, Blake. Always. It doesn’t matter if it’s tomorrow or ten years from now, okay? And when you’re ready, all you have to do is say the word and I’ll adjust to who you tell me you are.” She tipped her head to one side and lowered her voice. “A new name, a change in anything, you just let me know.”

“I- I think I like Blake and it’s a girls name too.” It almost sounded like he was asking permission, so she nodded.

“If that’s what makes you happy. I’m glad I got to meet the real you, even if it was only for a minute. If you want to ever share more of the real you in the future, I’d be honored to be the one you share with.”

“Okay.” He gave a small nod. “I’m not sure when I might be ready.”

“That’s okay too. This is yours to share, Blake, don’t feel you have to force yourself into something you’re not ready for. You be you on your terms.”

“Thank you. I, um, I think I might take you up on dinner at the farm sometime.”

“Sure, anytime. I will remind you though that my house can be a little crazy.”

That brought a small smile to his face. “Crazy doesn’t sound so bad.”

=MS=

The first time Henry met Blake; he’d been surprised to realize how easy it was to like him. He was used to their three loud and rowdy kids, so having the quiet and well-mannered young man around was a major, and perhaps pleasant, change. As the semester ended and summer carried on, he found himself more and more cooking for one extra. From time to time, Elizabeth would opt to go to Blake’s for an evening and every time, she’d come home a bit sad. He never understood why, it wasn’t the same way when he was at their place, but Henry chose not to ask. He could still remember Elizabeth telling him there was something she’d promised Blake not to speak about and he guessed that that was why she never shared about those evenings.

Over the next two years as other students came and went through their classrooms and lives, it seemed Blake stuck around. Henry figured that as soon as graduation came, he would eventually move on just like the others. Especially once Conrad Dalton turned up at the farm and turned their world upside down. After talking between them and then with the kids, they agreed as a family that she would accept the Secretary of State position, Elizabeth surprised him with what she did next.

“I’m going to go talk to Blake and let him know.”

“Okay.” It seemed a bit odd. “Why not just call him?”

“No, news like this really needs to be shared in person.” She kissed him. “I shouldn’t be gone long.”

Henry watched her leave.

=MS=

“So, I have big news.” Elizabeth started from her spot at Blake’s table. It was just like any normal visit she made to his place, he was far more relaxed and comfortable here and usually was dressed in clothes that reflected that comfort. “You knew I used to be CIA. I worked for President Dalton then. Well, he is insisting I replace Secretary of State Marsh. As in, he’s wanting to get the confirmation hearing started this week.”

“Wow.” She watched Blake try and process that. “You’re moving then.”

“To DC, yes.”

“Oh.” He sank into his seat. “I’ll- I’ll miss you. This. It’s been nice having someone else who knows.”

“Other people could know, Sweetie. There are so many people out there who would love and support you, the real you.”

“It’d be too embarrassing, suddenly telling everyone I’m someone else. My neighbors? They’ve known me as a guy for three years. So, to suddenly say hey I’m a girl now? No. I can’t do that.”

“So, start over somewhere new.” She watched him think about that. “Come to DC with me.”

“What?”

Elizabeth shrugged. “Conrad told me I should be hiring my own staff, but I don’t know where to even start. I will need a personal assistant though and you know me, and you know foreign policy. Why not? Then you could have a fresh start, introduce yourself however you want. And I’m fairly sure they’ll take their cues from me on whatever you want to give them.”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure DC is the place for someone like me.”

“Anyplace you want to be, Blake, is the place for you.”

He seemed to consider it. “When do you have to tell the president you accept?”

She checked her watch. “In about two hours.”

“Give me one to think on it?”

“Sure.” She rose, hugging him. “Either way, though, you’re not rid of me. You’re still welcome whenever you want at our house and I’ll always make time for you.”

=MS=

Henry was waiting in the kitchen when Elizabeth returned. “Everything good?”

“Yeah.” It was the first time she ever came back wearing a grin. “I asked him to move to DC.”

“Why?”

“I’ll need an assistant and he needs family.”

“He’s an adult.” Henry pointed out. “An adult who’s just finished grad school.”

“And will need a job anyway. And I’ll give him one. And a family that he needs as well. He is going to let me know before I have to call Conrad back.”

“Okay.”

“He just… I think the move would be good for him too. He needs a change.” He phone rang, startling her. “Blake?” She answered it.

“I’ll do it.”

“That’s great to hear.” She smiled at Henry and nodded. “I’ll ask Conrad about what you’ll need to know when I talk to him.” She bid him goodbye and hung up. “He agreed.”

“I heard. So now what? Call Conrad and tell him you accept?”

“I guess so.” She stepped up to get a hug from her husband. “This is it. Our lives are going to change.”

“I know.” He kissed her. “But Conrad’s right, you’ll be able to make some pretty big changes in how things are done from the top.”

“Yes.” She rested against him for a few minutes and then pulled back with a gasp. “We need to find a house.”

=MS=

Henry sat at the kitchen table watching Elizabeth rush around. “It’s your first day, Babe, no one expects you to have it all together.”

“Yeah, well, I do. I still don’t know why Conrad thinks I’ll be any good at this. And he failed to warn me about them out there.” She waved at the security agents out front. “Can’t even drive myself to work.” She grumbled.

“Hey.” He caught her arm when she went to pass him. “It’s just a change, you’ll get used to it.”

“I guess.” She sighed. “I think none of the staff I’m inheriting like me. I was supposed to replace them all, but I don’t even know where to start.”

“You’ll figure it out.”

She laughed. “You should see my Chief of Staff. That woman is… I think ice is warmer than she is.” Her phone buzzed and she located it on the counter. “I need to go and Blake’s waiting in the motorcade. He didn’t want to head in before me for my first day. If he’s nervous, I’m not sure how I’m going to get through this.”

“Are you really sure he’s the right guy for the job?” Henry voiced his worry.

“He’ll be fine.” She kissed him. “I’ll be fine I think.”

“You’ll do great.”

“Keep telling me that.” She found her bag and headed for the door. Sure enough, Blake was already inside when she climbed in. She was surprised to find him impeccably dressed in a suit. “That’s…not what I expected to see you in.”

He looked down at his clothes. “It’s business wear.”

“Yeah, well, you’re more dressed up than I am, and I guess I didn’t expect you to be in something so…” She suddenly remembered they weren’t alone. “That.”

“I bought other outfits, but I just couldn’t. I’m not ready. And I wore suits so much before, so I know how to act the part. This part. I want to be really good at helping you, so during the day that part of me just has to be left at home.”

Elizabeth sighed. “I just want you happy, Sweetie.” She patted his arm. “If you’re okay with this, then I’m not going to push.”

He was quiet until they were almost to the office. “I don’t know if I’m okay with it, but it’s what they expect.” When she looked over, he had his head down. “Last thing I need is to be run out of town on the first day.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m the only person who can fire you, Blake.”

“Fine. The last thing I need is for you to be run out of town on your first day because of me. Then we’ll both be out of jobs.”

“Let’s take today one step at a time. Step one will be getting to our desks without getting lost.”

“Oh, I have the whole seventh floor layout memorized already.” He seemed to perk up with something to keep him busy.

As he shifted into talking about their new job, Elizabeth settled back in her seat and smiled. There was a chance that they would be okay.

=MS=

Henry waited in the park for Elizabeth to turn up. She’d been in her new job six weeks and they’d begun to find a routine of meeting for lunch regularly. He looked around, waiting for her detail to start turning up ahead of her. It was always weird to see his wife walking along with half a dozen people surrounding her. Of course, he thought she was precious and worth protecting, but he also knew she didn’t actually need protecting. As usual, when the agents came into view, Elizabeth wasn’t alone. Blake was another constant now, at Elizabeth’s side seemingly every moment she wasn’t with him. Also becoming the norm, when Blake saw that Henry was already waiting, he bid goodbye and turned back toward the SUVs to wait, he never walked all the way to the bench. “Hey.” Henry kissed her when she sat down. “How’s your day?”

“Not too bad.” She accepted the food he passed over. “I’m still having to learn about these dinners and things that are left from Marsh and I think Nadine still hates me, but the others don’t seem to hate me as much now.”

“Well, that’s something.” He worked on his sandwich. “Blake looked pretty intense back there.”

He watched her smile falter. “We’ve been busy.”

“I know.” He’d barely seen her during waking hours except for their lunches.

“It’s hard on him when he can’t get a little time off. He needs that downtime for his… mental wellbeing, but he’s insistent that if I’m working, he should be too.”

“Can’t you force him to go home?”

She laughed. “I force him to not escort me on every one of our lunches. You see what good that does me. And it's not just time away from the office like this now. This, being able to sit here with you, this definitely is a recharge for me, but he… needs time at home on his own.”

“Are you- Are you sure this job will be a good fit if that’s the case? I’m guessing you’re just ramping up to how busy your job can be, and you don’t want him to break at the worst moment.”

“He’ll be okay.” She was certain in that. “We’ll figure it out.”

“I know you like him and I know right now he’s the only guy you feel is really your guy, but there are a hundred other qualified people probably just waiting for a chance to impress you.”

“Blake stays with me, Henry. It’ll be fine. Like I said, we’ll work it out.”

“Okay.” He put his arm around her and pulled her close. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

=MS=

Henry was reclined on the hotel bed skimming through his phone. He’d tagged along with the State Department staff on a trip to Berlin. Elizabeth was working on the other bed in the room, she’d turned it into a makeshift desk and had paperwork spread everywhere. “If the meeting isn’t until later in the morning, we could go for late dinner tonight.”

“That sounds good, I’m starving.” She flopped back against the pillows. “Just us or everybody?” She was on much better terms now with her staff, and they were really becoming her staff now, even Nadine. Elizabeth glanced at the clock. “Actually, Blake is off for the night already, but we could still invite everyone else.”

He was surprised. He knew she’d been more insistent on Blake taking the time she’d said he needed but didn’t know he’d actually been cooperating. “Let them all have a night off. We can find a place just the two of us.”

“Sounds wonderful.” She got up. “Let me clean up a bit.”

At the restaurant, Henry relied on Elizabeth’s German to order. Once the server was gone, she grinned at him. “Blake’s nearly fluent in German. The only one of my staff who is. The Ambassador’s staff didn’t know that today and one of the aides said something a bit crass about Daisy assuming that none of them would understand.” She chuckled. “Jay said the poor guy’s face when Blake translated almost immediately was priceless.”

He grinned. “I didn’t know he spoke anything else.”

“That’s his only one. I don’t think Daisy speaks any other languages, Jay speaks at least two, and then Matt and Nadine speak two or three each that I’ve heard so far. It’s definitely a skill that I think gets overlooked, but it’s good to have a variety.” Her phone pinged and she checked it. “The meeting got moved up tomorrow. Jay says the Germans have some questions.”

“Do you need to get back?”

“No. They’re all on it. I’ll stop in with them and touch base when we’re done here.”

They enjoyed their dinner and headed back. Henry lingered in the corner when Elizabeth stopped in and talked with most of her staff who were in Jay’s room working. From there, she sent him back to the room before stopping to speak with Blake. It seemed a bit odd to him, but Henry figured it had something to do with taking the breaks Elizabeth had been on about. They’d been in DC six months now and still her protectiveness of him hadn’t waned though her outright worry seemed to have eased.

Waiting for her to come back, Henry considered once again what it was about Elizabeth’s assistant that instilled such protectiveness that even he felt the urge to protect him and he wasn’t in on whatever the secret was. He was going to ask, but when Elizabeth joined him in the bed, he found himself distracted by helping her undress.

=MS=

“I can’t let you go!” Henry insisted. The idea that his wife was about to fly to Iran terrified him. “I’m pulling the husband card here.”

“Henry! Please!” He could hear the tears in her voice as she packed. “I have to do this.”

“Why does it have to be you?”

“Because that’s the job.” She took several steadying breaths. “I need you to promise me something. It’s important, Henry and I can’t give you details, but you have to promise me.”

“Anything.”

“If som- something happens to me… I need you to promise me you’ll look after Blake, okay? There’s- You need to get him alone and tell him it’s okay for him to show you the real him. That’s important, Henry.”

“I don’t-” He didn’t understand.

“He’ll know.” She sucked in a breath. “He’ll be mad at me, but you have to keep after him. I sent him home tonight before I made my decision, so by the time he gets in tomorrow, I’ll already be gone.” She sniffled. “Can you call and check on him in the morning?”

“Yeah. Of course.” He didn’t understand why to that either but agreed anyway. “Anything for you, Babe.”

“Good.” She fell into his arms. “I need to know he’s looked after.”

The following morning after walking Elizabeth to the door, he checked his watch. She was headed right to the plane, but Blake would be in shortly to the office to find out she would be away. Henry headed back into the kitchen to have breakfast before he had to place a call he wasn’t looking forward to. Eventually, he accepted that the time for stalling had ended and he slipped into the office to place the call. “Good morning, Blake. It’s Henry McCord.”

The other end of the line was silent a moment. “She’s not just running late, is she?”

“No. I’m sorry. She’s already on her way to Iran.”

“Oh. That’s- That must be why Nadine’s seemed to avoid me this morning. I guess I missed out on that information last night.” Henry could make out concern and sadness in his voice.

“Look, Blake. She asked me to call you and make sure you’re okay. This is…” He decided to be totally honest. “This terrifies me, Blake. I’m scared I won’t be getting her back and… And I know the two of you are close and I’m guessing it’s scaring you too.”

“Yes.” Blake admitted after a moment. “It is.”

=MS=

Henry convinced himself all day that no news was good news. Events like this, calls only got made when things went bad. Things moved too fast to stop and make a call that didn’t need to be made. When Nadine called him, he knew things had gone bad. “Tell me everything.” He insisted and then hung onto every word as she spelled out what they did and did not know so far. When she’d finished, he forced himself to follow through on Elizabeth’s wishes. “Nadine, could you do something for me?”

“Anything, Doctor McCord.”

“Is Blake already read in on what you’ve told me?”

“Yes.”

“Can you handle things without him there for a while? Would you be able to send him here? It’s… You could tell him you need him to keep me up to date.”

There was a pause before she answered. “I’ll send him.”

“Thank you.” He ended the call and tried to gather himself before heading back to the kids. He wasn’t exactly sure what the rest of the day would bring, but he needed to make sure they weren’t scared or worried.

By the time Blake turned up, Stevie and Alison had agreed to take Jason out for a few hours, so the house was empty. Henry really looked at Blake as he let him in. His tie was loose and crooked, his pocket square was wadded up, and his hair was falling into his eyes. “Elizabeth forced me to promise something before she left. Well, a few things. So first I was to say, you’ll always been part of this family. You were important to Elizabeth, so you’ll always be important to us. She made me swear to look after you. She also said I had to tell you that it’s okay for you to show me the real you.” That seemed to start the waterworks. “Hey. Come here.” He pulled Blake into a hug. “Is there anything you want to share about that now?’

“No.” He shook his head. “I want confirmation she’s okay first.”

“Of course.”

=MS=

It took sixteen hours, but they finally got confirmation that Elizabeth was coming home. When Nadine called to let him know, Henry’s first instinct was to find hold his girls close, Jason was still completely in the dark, and reassure them and himself that their family was going to be okay. After they’d all shed happy tears, Henry remembered that Blake was somewhere hidden away and he went searching.

Henry found Blake sitting out back in the chilly air. “Blake.” He watched the young man look up. “She’s coming home.” There was a moment when it seemed he was frozen in place before Henry watched him double over, gasping before sobs began to wrack his body. He rushed to his side. “Hey, she’s okay. She’s going to be okay; she’s coming home.”

Once he’d wore himself out, Blake straightened up. “I need to- I need to go home. I- I want to see her when she’s home, can I see her?”

“Yes. Of course.”

Blake nodded rapidly. “I need to see she’s okay. I need to go home.”

“Sure.” He patted his shoulder. “It’s okay. I’ll call you when I know more?”

“Yeah.”

=MS=

Henry waited for his wife by anxiously pacing in the foyer. She’d flat out asked him not to meet her at the base, to stay home with the kids. He’d shared before she’d even asked about having Blake over while they’d waited on news and it had sounded like she was on the verge of tears when she thanked him for remembering.

The door opened and he rushed forward. “Babe.” He pulled her gently into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re home.”

“I love you so much.”

“I love you too.”

“How are the kids?” She looked up at him. “Jason still doesn’t know?”

“No. And I- I asked them to give you a few minutes before rushing down. The girls… It’s the first time the kids have ever been aware of something that’s happening.”

“I know. I never considered that they’re getting older.” She clung to him for several minutes. “And Blake went home?”

“Yeah. He was really upset but insisted he needed to go home for a while. I said I’d call him when you got here.”

“I’ll call him. Can you get the kids down here first though?”

“Sure.”

Hours later, once the excitement of having Elizabeth home had settled, Henry watched her slip away with her phone and quietly followed. He could only hear her side of things but knew in an instant that she was speaking to Blake, reassuring him that she was okay. But then something he said seemed to take her by surprise and she pressed several times, asking if he was sure, before ending the call. “Babe?”

Elizabeth turned toward him. “Henry.” She gave him a feeble smile. “You and I are going over to Blake’s place tomorrow for dinner. We’ll order the kids some pizza.” She walked his way and he held her close. “He said to tell you thank you for letting him wait here and… And he wants to tell you something. It’s… It’s a big deal.”

“Okay.” He didn’t know what was going on, but trusted that whatever it was, would make more sense the next day.

A day later, as the motorcade was stopping in front of Blake’s apartment, Henry watched how nervous Elizabeth was. It seemed odd that she would be so nervous over dinner with someone she was so close to. “Babe.” He pulled her into his side as they walked up to the door. “What’s going on?”

“I just worry. It’s a really big deal that he wants to do this and Henry.” She stopped and faced him. “Even a split second of him thinking you’re reacting…wrong…will hurt him. Okay?”

“Yeah, okay.”

She led the rest of the way to the door, knocking before using a key Henry didn’t even realize she had to let them in. “Blake, we’re here!” She called out.

Henry took in the apartment. It was clear by how it was decorated that Blake had many widely varying passions and interest. There were framed autographed Playbills, framed posters, and records and CD’s stacked everywhere.

“Hey.”

Blake’s greeting was almost so soft Henry missed it, but once he realized the younger man had spoken, he turned to look his way. The first thing Henry noticed what the look of apprehension; the second was that Blake made a rather pretty young woman. His wife’s words in the car made sense now. “Good evening, Blake.” He finally greeted with a small smile.

He watched Blake let out a breath he’d been holding and then smile properly. “I made chicken fajitas for dinner.”

“Sounds good.” Henry crossed the room and pulled him into a hug before turning them both toward Elizabeth. “She’s home, Blake. Safe and sound.”

Blake crossed the room and hugged her next. “I’m so glad you’re back. I wasn’t sure… I wasn’t sure what would happen if you didn’t make it back.”

“Well, now you’ll have Henry in your corner as well.”

=MS=

Henry laid beside his wife later that night, thoughts running through his mind. “You’ve known a long time.”

“Yeah. He didn’t want anyone else to know. He’s still so afraid of anyone finding out.”

“I have so many questions.”

Elizabeth rolled over so she was facing him. “Like what?”

“Is this to do with… everything, I guess? He goes home as a specific time, when we travelled, he wasn’t called in with the others, you’ve gone to him sometimes.”

“He’s so closeted still… When we came to DC, he tried to force himself not to… be himself, really. No dresses or makeup or anything. He got depressed and really struggled, so I started forcing him to take regular time on his own to be himself. He can go home and change into the clothes he’s comfortable in.”

“I guess that’s my other question. Is this why you insisted he come to DC?”

She nodded. “I told him it could be a fresh start, he could be a woman here and he wouldn’t have to worry about explaining himself to people who knew him as a man before, but at the last minute he decided he wasn’t ready. He bought a couple women’s suits, but I’ve not actually seen him in them. He does absolutely love browsing and I let him pick a lot of my workwear, so no one bats an eye at him looking. They just assume it’s for me.”

“He’s okay being called ‘he’?”

She frowned. “I’ve had that conversation with him so many times. He says ‘Blake’ is a gender-neutral name and he’s right on that part. He doesn’t want to be outed over pronouns.” She reached out and took Henry’s hand. “I keep thinking one day he’ll be ready. I worry so much that hiding will just tear him apart in the long run. He’s too wonderful to be destroyed by holding in a secret.”

“He won’t be. We won’t let him.”


End file.
